Drugs in Media - The Wall Directed by Alan Parker - Essay Example

Drugs in Media – The Wall Introduction Socio-cultural cosmopolitanism, identity crisis and psychological alienation are perhaps the most important reasons that have encouraged the habit of drug abuse among the modern young generation. If we carefully analyze the gradual process of social transformation, we will see that till early 1900s, society used to follow certain patterns in terms of beliefs, morality and different aspects of humane behaviorist approach. However, two consecutive Great Wars have introduced an altogether change in an individual’s outlook towards different issues of human existence. Death, bloodshed, loss of mutual trust and frailty of life plagued human existence to such an extent that common people developed an escapist approach from their human existence. Compared to the adults, sensitive minds of young generation were affected to a greater extent. On one hand they wised to enjoy a healthy and jovial social life but their hopes and aspirations were repeatedly obstructed by utilitarian approach of the modern society. Finally, in search of their dreams and aspirations, which were strictly forbidden by the society, they chose to take refuge amidst nihilistic world of drugs. Apart from several socio-political aspects, increasing rate of drug abuse has been one of the most primary concerns for the late 20th and early 21st century world. Though backdrop of the entire situation was prepared since end of the Second World War, Western social discourse witnessed devastating effect of drug abuse since 1980s onwards. At the same time, technological empowerment provided extra boost to media when it came to highlighting the evil effects of drug over young generation. Films, televisions broadcasting, advertisements, literature, painting – almost all forms of Art provided considerable amount of focus over the habit of drug abuse among young people. Governance of various Western nations also expressed their concern over such self-destructive obsession. They also came up with several types of administrative policies to control the habit of drug abuse among young people but in reality, none of those steps proved to be effective. Main reason behind such failure was that the policies, though were aimed at restraining youths from being addicted to drugs, were focused over solving the problem superficially, whereas root of the problem went deeper into the core of Western social existence. The Wall, a famous British musical film, has pondered over the essential issues that have played the most important part in orienting post modern youth psychology and their obsession with drugs in order to avoid straining conflicts with social realism. Body The Wall, directed by Alan Parker and written by one of the most conspicuous figures of the Rock n’ Roll history, Roger Waters, is highly regarded for its rich symbolic usage and its attempt to explore different layers of post modern youth psyche. Though tracks of this film were released prior to release of the film (1979), world premier of the film on 14th July 1982 made it an immediate commercial success (Mabbett, 1995, p. 74). Plot of the film revolves around life of a renowned rock star Pink – his upbringing, his desperate urge to receive emotional support from his father, his interaction with his mother, after attaining puberty his broken relationship with his wife, his prolonged drug addiction to receive psychological fulfillment from his alienated social life and finally his lunacy, leading him to the world of fantasy-to the peaceful world of lost childhood, where he always wanted to belong (Parker, 1982). The most interesting aspect about The Wall is both director and screenwriter provided a great deal of importance over evaluation of Pink’s character through analyzing his psychological state. Masterful use of symbols and imagery in the film shifted attention of the audience from Pink’s actions, generated from utter nihilism that he keeps on experiencing at every step of his life to layers of his psychology. This aspect helps the audience to interpret the character of Pink from a new dimension that behind his apparent rough and violent nature another entity survives, which is nothing more than that of a child’s. Just the way a child seeks attention, coziness, warmth and fulfillment from everyone around him, at every step of his life, Pink also expected those qualities. Unfortunately, social and individual utilitarian outlook has taken such a rigid shape that his wishes remained entirely unrecognized and unappreciated. The ultimate transformation of Pink as a lunatic has gradually been expressed through development of the film. Death of his father during the Second World War was a major emotional setback for him. Though he was always under careful observation of his mother but throughout his childhood he always missed emotional support of a father figure. His craving for the fatherly support has beautifully been expressed in the park scene, where child Pink awaits his mother to take him back home and watches another kid, enjoying a joyous time with his father. Compelled by his indomitable childhood impulse he even follows that person but immediately he is rejected brutally. Such social hostility and non-appreciation of his emotions he experiences at every step of his childhood as well as adolescent life. Truth behind such observation receives a stronger foundation from the reflection of Roger Waters, “ In The Wall I’ve tried to communicate the idea that the relationship we’ve has between us, between ‘us’ in our lead role on stage, and ‘them’ the audience, has been a false one which neither of us has entirely understood” (Waters; Curtis, 1987, p. 283). During school days, spontaneity of his poetic nature is mercilessly exposed to ignominy by the sadist teachers. His mother has always tried to oppress his natural psycho-sexual adolescent impulses under the covers of morality. Looking back, Pink understands that he actually is trapped within a wall and every character is a brick of that wall. He desperately attempts to demolish that wall but fails in the end. He always wanted to enjoy an emotionally liberal social existence but finally he finds that memories of his dead father, his over protective mother, the sadist teachers at school, even broken relationship of his wife have waved around him so hard that it is almost impossible for him to get the state of emotional freedom. This search for emotional freedom has finally taken him to regular abuse of drugs like, heroine, marijuana and LSD. The film depicts several such imagistic reflections that actually portray Pink’s emotional state through his fantasies but the audience finds elements of paranoia as his fears of emotional confinement has reached deepest level of his entity as an artist. Despite he attempts to find solace through use of drugs but he fails to reach the world of emotional freedom. This frustration has masterfully been expressed in the song, “Nobody Home”: “Ive got wild staring eyes / And Ive got a strong urge to fly, but I got nowhere to fly to” (Pink Floyd, n. d) This desperate desire to find his own place, his own identity and quest to survive emotional confinement is not Pink’s alone. Here, Pink actually becomes representative of the whole young generation in the Western; more specifically of the British society during the 1980s. On one hand, ravages of Second World War are still prominent and on the other hand desperate attempt to find solace amidst their social existence was tearing the entire young generation apart. Focusing over layers of Pink’s psychological development, the film actually has tried to point out the main factors that are responsible for developing such self destructive tendency among youths. Another important aspect about drug abuse among contemporary generation was that mostly the young people preferred chemical, psychoactive drugs. Causes of youth favoritism about use of psychoactive chemical drugs can broadly be classified into three categories, namely, Individual, Constitutional and Environmental. Personality of an individual plays an important role behind developing a person’s affinity for consumption of drugs. Such tendency is most explicitly observed among people, who belong to the penal institutions or regarded as clinical patients. These people, due to such status, consider themselves inferior to other people of the society. Automatically they develop a particular sort of complex, which accelerate their tendency to get addicted to drug abuse. Once they are addicted to the use of such drugs, drastic psychological disorder occurs to them, which is mainly characterized with “neuroticism, hostility and extraversion.” (Plant, 1992, p. 5) Brutal effect of such psychological disorder has also been depicted quite explicitly in the movie. Pink’s sudden violent attitude, both suicidal and homicidal fits, and his fantasy of transformed into an anarchist leader, clearly reflect tendency of the entire generation and evil forms of their psychological oppression by the society. Conclusion According to most of the psychiatrists and social scientists, psychological aspects play the main part when it comes to increasing rate of drug abuse in the society. Compared to the adults, tendency to use drugs is more frequently found among young generation. The phase of adolescence and youth are very sensitive periods in the life of a human being. During this time, a person develops his perception about the society. Such perception development is greatly dependent over people’s approach and incidents that are happening around him. Change is a dynamic social process and in his youth or adolescence a youth does not always been able to cope up with the pace of change around him. Due to that reason, a youth observes him as an alien individual from the rest of the world. Such feeling creates a tremendous psychological pressure over him and he opts for drugs as an outlet of escaping from such inferiority complex. Moreover, personal tragedy, hedonism, curiosity, and troubled family life these factors also contribute to a great extent in loosely prescribed drug abuse of a person. Adolescents and youths have a great inclination towards adventure. As use of drug is socially prohibited and widely discourages, they always feel a kind of subconscious attraction towards use of those illicit objects. This is the main reason that many young people start getting addicted to these loosely prescribed drugs. Though British government introduced several administrative policies during the 1980s, aimed at controlling drug abuse among young generation but there were serious lack of planning in the whole system. Evidence of such disorientation can be found in analysis of several social scholars, “The British ‘system’ for the treatment of addiction is a loose collection of ideas, policies, institutions, and activities. There is a legal framework within which Clinic doctors and other stuffs work, but the translation of this into day-to-day practice leaves considerable room for individual initiative and interpretation.” (Stimson & Oppenheimer, 1982, p. 205) It is clear from such observation that while governance considered the whole matter to be treated in a quite superficial manner, actually the entire generation was suffering from much dire predicament. Cultivating psychological condition of the people and providing them with proper moral assistance could have been the best solution to control the situation. Unfortunately, the government did not make any attempt to understand the main reasons for such transformation among youths. On the other hand, The Wall has emerged as one of the most illustrated examples from media that actually focused over drastic changes occurred at the behaviorist approach of young generation in the contemporary society. Simultaneously, the film has also attempted to explore the uncharted, yet the most relevant issues that were actually responsible for developing the habit of drug abuse among contemporary young generation. References Curtis, J. M. (1987). Rock eras: interpretations of music and society, 1954-1984. Abingdon: Popular Press. Mabbett, A. (1995). The complete guide to the music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. Oppenheimer, E., & Stimson, G. V. (1982). Heroin addiction: treatment and control in Britain. New York: Taylor & Francis. Parker, A. (1982). The Wall. Los Angeles: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Pink Floyd. (n. d.). “Nobody Home.” Retrieved November 13, 2009, from http://www.elyrics.net/read/p/pink-floyd-lyrics/nobody-home-lyrics.html Plant, M. (1992). Risk-takers: Alcohol, Drugs, Sex, and Youth. London: Routledge. Read More